Sewing machine cabinets



Feb. 28, 1967 J. P. GIBSON ETAL 3,306,690

SEWING MACHINE CABINETS Filed July 51, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.8

INVENTORS. JAMES PGIBSON,

ROBERT L.HART and ELBERT J.STANLEY TTORNEY Feb. 28, 1967 J. P. GIBSON ETAL SEWING MACHINE CABINETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31, 1964 3 ,5 d Y m m v. O T E mm m E 0 m6 Li 0 mm EEC.- M BB A 0L JRE United States Patent 3,306,690 SEWING MACHINE CABINETS James P. Gibson, Trumann, Arlc, Robert L. Hart, Dallas,

Tex., and Elbert J. Stanley, Istanbul, Turkey, assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 31, 1964, Ser. No. 386,573 2 Claims. (Cl. 312208) This invention relates to sewing machine cabinets and more particularly to sewing machine cabinets which, because of the way in which the sewing machine is stored and used, have the appearance of a credenza or similar type of furniture, and one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide an improved sewing machine cabinet of this type.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved sewing machine cabinet in which all of the movable legs, trip devices, and most of the latches and other mechanisms are so positioned that when the doors, drawers, and covers of the cabinet are closed, the movable legs, latches, trips, etc. will be hidden from view.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved sewing machine cabinet having two separate positions in which to support a sewing machine, namely, a position for storing the sewing machine and a position in which the sewing machine can be used.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a sewing machine cabinet embodying the present invention, the cabinet being shown in the closed position with the movable legs, latches, trips, etc. hidden from view,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the sewing machine cabinet of FIG. 1 in an open position, in which the front panel of the cabinet is raised to form a table top for a sewing machine,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary external perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the other end of the cabinet,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with the sewing machine supporting platform exposed to view,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the plane 5-5 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 4.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 through 8, the sewing machine cabinet 16, embodying the present invention, comprises a bottom Wall 17 supported by front and rear legs 18. From the bottom wall 17 there rises a left side wall 19, a rear wall 21, an apertured right side Wall 22 and a top Wall 23. A flat member 26 acts both as a front door and as a table top and one edge of the member 26 is hinged (FIG. 8) from a location adjacent to the front edge of the top wall 23 by hinges 27, only one of which is shown. The outer surface of the member 26 becomes flush with the outer edge of the top wall 23 when the member 26 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the same outer surface of the member 26 becomes flush with the upper surface of the top wall 23 when the member 26 is in the raised position shown in FIG. 2. It will be understood that the member 26 when lowered to the position shown in FIG. 1, acts as a door to close the front of the cabinet. Also the member 26, when raised to the position shown in FIG. 2, acts as a table top to support a sewing machine. This is accomplished by having one of the three decorative panels 31, 32, 33 removable as shown in FIG. 2 to expose a sewing machine receiving recess 34. The removable panel 31 is held in the recess 34 by means of conventional supports 36 and a spring clip (not shown).

The free end of the member 26 carries a rail 41 to opposite ends of which are hinged a pair of conventional card table type folding legs 42-43 which are folded up under the lower surface of the member 26 when it becomes desirable to lower the member 26 from the horizontal position of FIG. 2, to the vertical or closing position of FIG. 1.

The right side wall 22 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is formed with a door 51 supported at its lower portion by hinges 5252 and having in its upper portion a handle 53. Inside the cabinet 16 there is provided a pair of front to rear extending braces 54-56 (FIG. 5) and these braces 54-56 support a centrally located side to side extending bar 58 which slidably supports a sewing machine storage platform 59, a top plan view of which is shown in FIG. 6. The upper surface of the platform 59 is provided with four depressions 61, 62, 63 and 64 designed to receive the feet 66 of a sewing machine 67. The depressions 62 and 64 are elongated, thereby making it possible to place the feet of either a long or short type sewing machine 67 into the depressions 61, 62, 63 and 64.

The upper surface of the platform 59 carries a pair of upstanding spaced blocks 68 and 69 to which are pivotally secured the ends of a pair of links 71-72. The outer ends of the links 71-72 are pivotally connected, as at 73, to the inside face of hinged door 51. It will be understood that, as the door 51 is opened the links 71-72 cause the platform 59 to slide outwardly to the position shown in FIG. 4, thereby exposing a sewing machine 67, mounted on the platform 59. Also as the door 51 is closed the links 71-72 cause the platform 59 to move into the cabinet 16.

If a home maker desires to use the sewing machine 67, which is stored in the cabinet 16, she first raises the member 26 from its front door position shown in FIG. 1 to the table-top position shown in FIG. 2, and as the member 26 is raised the legs 42 and 43 are lowered to the solid line position shown in FIG. 2. Then the home maker removes the panel 31 to expose the sewing machine receiving recess 34. Next she grasps the handle 53 and lowers the door 51 from the closed position shown in FIG. 3 to the open position shown in FIG. 4. Opening the door 51 moves the platform 59 to an exposed position from which the sewing machine 67 can easily be lifted. Then the sewing machine 67 is placed into the recess 34. Thereafter the door 51 may be closed.

When the home maker has finished sewing she opens the door 51, replaces the sewing machine 67 on the platform 59, closes the door 51, replaces the panel 31, and lowers the member 26.

While not shown, it will be understood that one or more drawers may be mounted in the end of the cabinet closed by the left side wall 19.

Reference to FIG. 2 shows that the elongated recess 34 is positioned in such a manner that its long dimension extends parallel to the left side of the member 26 and that the recess 34 is located in that portion of the member 26 which is close to the left wall 19. Because of this arrangement, the sewing machine 67, when placed in the recess 34, can conveniently be used by a person seated adjacent to the left edge of the member 26. Under these circumstances the upper surface of the top wall 23 serves as a sewing machine bed extension located to the left of the sewing machine and the portion of the member 26, defined by the panels 32 and 33, serves as a table surface located to the rear of the sewing machine.

Having thus disclosed the invention, what we claim herein is:

1. A sewing machine cabinet having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, said right side wall being apertured, a top wall, and an open front; a substantially flat member hinged to the front of said top wall and swingable to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being such as to cause said member to close the open front of said cabinet and the other of said positions being such as to cause said member to act as a table top for receiving a sewing machine, said member being formed with an elongated aperture located in that part of the member which is nearest to the left side wall; a pair of folding legs carried by the free end of said member, said legs being swingable to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being such as to position the legs to support the free ends of the member and the other of said positions being such as to fold the legs below the surface of said member; a sewing machine supporting platform, means for slidably mounting said platform for movement to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being a storage position entirely within the cabinet and the other of said positions being a position extending partly through the aperture in the right side wall such that a sewing machine can easily be placed on and removed from said platform; a door, means for hingedly mounting said door on said right side wall for movement to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being a position for closing the aperture in said right side walls, and the other being a position for exposing said slidably mounted platform; and a pair of links opposite ends of which are respectively connected to said door and to said platform, the connection between said door and said platform being so constructed and arranged as to cause said platform to slide out of said cabinet when said door is opened and to cause said platform to move to the stored position within said cabinet when said door is closed.

2. A sewing machine cabinet having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, said right wall being apertured, a top wall, and an open front; a substantially flat member hinged to the front of said top wall and swingable to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being such as to cause said member to close the open front of said cabinet and the other of said positions being such as to cause said member to act as a table top for receiving a sewing machine, said member being formed with an elongated aperture located in that part of the member which is nearest to the left side wall; a pair of folding legs carried by the free end of said member, said legs being swingable to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being such as to position the legs to support the free end of the member and the other of said positions being such as to fold the legs below the surface of said member; a sewing machine supporting platform, a centrally located side-to-side extending bar mounted in said cabinet and designed for slidably mounting said platform for movement to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being a storage position entirely within the cabinet and the other of said positions being a position extending partly through the aperture in the right side wall, a plurality of depressions formed in the upper surface of said platform, said depressions being of such a nature that a sewing machine placed on said platform will remain in place thereon when said platform is moved, a door, means for hingedly mounting said door on the said right side wall for movement to either of two selected positions, one of said positions being a position for closing the aperture in said right side walls, and the other being a position for exposing said slidably mounted platform; and a pair of links opposite ends of which are respectively connected to said door and to said platform, the connection between said door and said platform being so constructed and arranged as to cause said platform to slide out of said cabinet when said door is opened and to cause said platform to move to the stored position within said cabinet when said door is closed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 565,477 8/1896 Linton 312-23 X 747,581 12/1903 Boule 312-282X 896,664 8/1908 Rausch 312-274 1,379,091 5/ 1921 Farquhar 312-274 1,718,374 6/1929 Oberst 312-25 X 2,486,032 10/ 1949 Jimenez 248-25 X 2,499,713 3/1950 Bargen 312-208 X 2,565,456 8/1951 Peets 312-208 2,608,456 8/1952 Barth 312-24 X 3,253,870 5/1966 Stanton 312-208 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,093,668 11/1954 France.

189,535 10/ 1907 Germany.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

A. FRANKEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SEWING MACHINE CABINET HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, A REAR WALL, A LEFT SIDE WALL, A RIGHT SIDE WALL, SAID RIGHT SIDE WALL BEING APERTURED, A TOP WALL, AND AN OPEN FRONT; A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT MEMBER HINGED TO THE FRONT OF SAID TOP WALL AND SWINGABLE TO EITHER OF TWO SELECTED POSITIONS, ONE OF SAID POSITIONS BEING SUCH AS TO CAUSE SAID MEMBER TO CLOSE THE OPEN FRONT OF SAID CABINET AND THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS BEING SUCH AS TO CAUSE SAID MEMBER TO ACT AS A TABLE TOP FOR RECEIVING A SEWING MACHINE, SAID MEMBER BEING FORMED WITH AN ELONGATED APERTURE LOCATED IN THAT PART OF THE MEMBER WHICH IS NEAREST TO THE LEFT SIDE WALL; A PAIR OF FOLDING LEGS CARRIED BY THE FREE END OF SAID MEMBER, SAID LEGS BEING SWINGABLE TO EITHER OF TWO SELECTED POSITIONS, ONE OF SAID POSITIONS BEING SUCH AS TO POSITION THE LEGS TO SUPPORT THE FREE ENDS OF THE MEMBER AND THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS BEING SUCH AS TO FOLD THE LEGS BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID MEMBER; A SEWING MACHINE SUPPORTING PLATFORM, MEANS FOR SLIDABLY MOUNTING SAID PLATFORM FOR MOVEMENT TO EITHER OF TWO SELECTED POSITIONS, ONE OF SAID POSITIONS BEING A STORAGE POSITION ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CABINET AND THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS BEING A POSITION EXTENDING PARTLY THROUGH THE APERTURE IN THE RIGHT SIDE WALL SUCH THAT A SEWING MACHINE CAN EASILY BE PLACED ON AND REMOVED FROM SAID PLATFORM; A DOOR, MEANS FOR HINGEDLY MOUNTING SAID DOOR ON SAID RIGHT SIDE WALL FOR MOVEMENT TO EITHER OF TWO SELECTED POSITIONS, ONE OF SAID POSITIONS BEING A POSITION FOR CLOSING THE APERTURE IN SAID RIGHT SIDE WALLS, AND THE OTHER BEING A POSITION FOR EXPOSING SAID SLIDABLY MOUNTED PLATFORM; AND A PAIR OF LINKS OPPOSITE ENDS OF WHICH ARE RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DOOR AND TO SAID PLATFORM, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID DOOR AND SAID PLATFORM BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO CAUSE SAID PLATFORM TO SLIDE OUT OF SAID CABINET WHEN SAID DOOR IS OPENED AND TO CAUSE SAID PLATFORM TO MOVE TO THE STORED POSITION WITHIN SAID CABINET WHEN SAID DOOR IS CLOSED. 